As an Ivy League grad and experienced English teacher and TOEFL tutor, I am going to post various pieces of advice for the test every now and then. I'll include strategy and format tips as well as examples of how to do well on the TOEFL. Feel free to contact me at: djg51qu@gmail.com

Monday, December 12, 2016

TOEFL Speaking Question #1 sample

What was the most difficult class you had to take in your school career and how did you get through it?

In this case, you really can't strictly use this formula: Intro + Reason 1 + Example 1 + Reason 2 + Example 2. You will have to revise the formula somewhat.

Example answer:

Intro: Calculus was the most difficult course I took in college and I got through it by doing two things.

We will have to revise the reasons in this case to become reasons why the course was difficult, then our examples will be examples of how you overcame the obstacles.

Reason 1: This course was difficult for me because the professor was a non-native English speaker and I seriously could not understand half of what he said due to his accent.Example 1: Therefore, I literally worked through each chapter of our text ahead of time so that I could better understand what he was writing on the board. Even without understanding his English, I understood the equations.Reason 2: Furthermore, I have always felt that any math class was tedious and boring so it was hard for me to study for the tests.Example 2: So I put together a weekly study group to help me go through the chapters and notes and tests and we had beer and chips and really enjoyed ourselves. Misery loves company, after all.Conclusion: There are always ways to get around obstacles, you just have to be creative and maybe work a little harder. --------------------Yes, Daniel Gauss is probably the best TOEFL coach in this part of the universe outside of Uranus.